Many people are fearful of the shadow world. They would rather not explore it, face it or even discuss it. But as a shaman I know the gifts to be found there, the lessons to be learned and the beauty of my soul that has been revealed there. As the late Debbie Ford said, “You can't be fully yourself if you have aspects that are hiding. The shadow holds the truth of all authentic parts of being human - your vulnerability, your discontent, your jealousy, or an experience from the past that you haven't digested. The only way to invite them out of the shadow is to bring them into the light. The light is a new perspective in which you see everything that's happening is happening to help you develop your soul. Then you're free - free to be who you are most authentically, free to ask for what you need, free to find your joy and bliss, free to share your gifts.”
There is so much wholeness and greatness to be embraced once we face our shadow world. We all have a shadow self that needs to be revealed, understood and brought into the light of the day. Our soul then can be fully embraced, it can expand to all its possibilities and receive the healing it may need. Without doing the work we need to do to explore our wounds, uncover our disappointments and sadness and accept our vulnerable parts we stay stuck. Our freedom is the gift for this effort. We are given freedom to be our beautiful self, to share our gifts, to trust our truth, and to share these attributes with the lives of others.

Working with the shadow of self requires having self compassion. Ego will want to shame or blame us. Anger may try to enter the equation. Peace, patience and flexibility will serve you well when working with this aspect of our self. Working within the shadow world means being open to different perspectives on a situation and exploring the possibilities we have not been willing to entertain in the past. Many times it helps if we have someone to support us in the shadow work process to help keep us balanced and in our truth.

A shaman has worked extensively with shadow in order to get to the place where they can offer their strengths in healing and soul retrieval and to be able to decipher the messages shared for the soul from the other realms. As with many spiritual practices, learning to be fully in one’s truth can take time spent in personal reflection. Learning to see the beauty in all things, even within our pain and loss, helps to bring the balance and focus onto one’s personal spiritual path.